Jindal proposes penal reforms

11:30 PM,
Feb. 15, 2013

Written by

Mike Hasten
mhasten@gannett.com

BATON ROUGE - The Legislature could improve young people's lives, lower the crime rate, reduce the number of nonviolent inmates held in state prisons and save money by passing a package of bills reforming the juvenile justice and adult criminal justice systems, says Gov. Bobby Jindal.

The governor on Friday laid out plans for three pieces of legislation that he's backing in the legislative session that starts April 8. The state has long had a reputation of being hard on crime, but it's time to be "smart on crime," he said.

Two of the bills the governor is proposing would change how Louisiana ...